Label dispenser



Oct. 19, 1965 H. A. KRUGER LABEL DISPENSER Filed Aug. 7, 1963 INVENTOR. HERBERT A. KRU GER FIG. 3

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,212,669 LABEL DISPENSER Herbert A. Kruger, Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada, assignor to Kimball Systems Ltd, a company of Canada Filed Aug. 7, 1963, Ser. No. 300,484 14 Claims. (Cl. 221-70) The present invention pertains to devices for dispensing gumrned labels or the like.

Gummed labels are conventionally commercially available detachably mounted on a supporting sheet or strip. For use, the gumrned label material must be removed from the supporting sheet.

It is well known that the separation of the gummed label material for the supporting sheet can be effected by causing the composite strip to pass with an abrupt change of direction over a peeling edge. United States Patents 2,276,296; 2,372,245; 2,394,991; and 2,838,171 disclose various types of devices making use of this wellknown principle.

The present invention also makes use of this principle but does so by means of novel structure which results in a device easy to use and which can be manufactured much more economically than previously known devices.

It is therefore one major object of the present invention to provide a label dispenser which will include the required structure for separating the label material from the supporting sheet and which can be manufactured economically.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such a label dispenser which lends itself to fabrication as one integral unit which unit includes the required label separating means.

It is a further object to provide such a label dispenser structure including means for holding a supply of the composite label material-supporting sheet strip, which can be readily fabricated as one integral unit.

As will be described in detail subsequently, a novel feature of the invention resides in including as part of the label material dispense-r a panel like portion in which is provided a series of slots defining therebetween arms or bars, preferably free ended, around which the composite strip is interlaced. When the composite label strip is pulled through the label separating stations so provided, the label material automatically separates from the backing sheet. Preferably, though not necessarily, the slotted panel-like member forms the base of the dispenser. There also can be provided in another portion of the base provided by the panel member an integrally formed upstanding structural arrangement for supporting a roll of the composite strip material. From this roll, the strip material travels to the label separating station.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a blank from which the novel dispenser of the invention can be formed;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the dispenser; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on line III-III of FIG. 2.

The conventional label material strip for which the present invention is designed to be used comprises a composite strip, usually made up in the form of a roll 1. I he strip consists of a substantial length of a backing sheet 2 on which are positioned individual labels 3 having on their back surface a coating of pressure sensitive adhesive. Sheet 2 may be of any suitable materials such as cellophane, paper, or the like. The adhesiveness between the pressure sensitive adhesive and the label is much greater than the cohesiveness between the adhesive and the backing strip so that the labels may be easily removed from the backing sheet Without the adhesive remaining on the backing sheet.

As is Well known, and is effected in the present device, the labels are caused to separate from the backing sheet for use by constraining the composite sheet to pass over a sharp peeling edge.

The novel dispenser of the invention comprises a base member in the form of a flat plate or panel 10 of substantially uniform thickness. Plate or panel 10 can be of sheet steel approximately thick. As will be described later, the entire dispenser can conveniently be fabricated from a single stamped blank of said plate material. The blank can then be formed by bending to provide all the requisite functional parts as one integral unit.

Provided at one end of base member 10 is means 11 for holding the roll 1 of the composite label strip. Such holding means includes a horizontal arm portion 11w on which the roll is adapted to be supported. The roll is held between an upstanding arm 11b integral with the right hand end of arm 11a, and a rearward extension 11d of a vertical mounting arm which rises from base member 10. The left end of supporting arm 11a integrally joins extension 11d.

Provided at the opposite end of base member 10 and along the same side thereof is a label separating station 12, at which the gummed labels 3 are automatically separated from the backing sheet 2 in response to the composite sheet being pulled through the station in the direction of arrow P. The label separating station 12 is formed by three adjacent substantially parallel slots 13, 14, and 15 which extend transversely to the path of movement of the label strip and which open through the righthand side edge 16 of base member 10. These slots define three adjacent spaced free-ended arms or bar-like members in the form of flat tines or teeth 20, 21, and 22. As clearly seen in the drawing, the composite strip is trained under the leading tine 20, over the middle time 21, and then under the trailing tine 22. Each of the tines includes at its inner end an upwardly sloping portion (20a, 21a, 220, respectively) integrally connecting the tine to the base member 10. The major body portions of the tines, which are substantially parallel to base member 1, are therefore raised or offset somewhat above the base member 10. The elevation of the middle title 21 is somewhat higher than the other two tines to provide an abrupt change in the path of the composite strip as it moves over the leading side edge of this tine. The leading tine 20 includes at its outer free end a downwardly bent portion 20b. The oppositely sloping end portions 20:: and 20b of tine 20 serve as guide means toconstrain the composite label strip against inadvertent lateral movement toward either side of the intended strip path shown in FIG. 2. The outer sloping portion 20b in particular tends to prevent the strip from inadvertently moving completely off the tines.

Intermediate the supply station 11 and the label separating station 12 there is provided an intermediate holddown tine 23 substantially identical with the above" described tine 20.

The device of the preesnt invention is used as follows.

A roll 1 of the composite label material 2, 3 is mounted at the supply station 11 by being held horizontally and passed downwardly over arm 11b. The roll is then rotated to the vertical position shown in FIG. 2 with the interior of its core resting on the horizontal arm 11a, the entire roll being held between arms 11c, 11d, and 11b. The free end portion of the strip is passed under the intermediate tine 23, under tine 20, over tine 21, and under the last tine 22. The fact that the slots defining the respective tines open through the side edge 16 of the base member facilitates threading the strips over and under the respective tines. Prior to dispensing the labels, any

desired indicia may be written or printed thereon while.

the labels are in the intermediate portion of the base member between the separating station 12 and the holddown tine 23. The underlying portion of the base member serves as a convenient back-up surface for this purpose.

To separate the labels 3 from the backing sheet 2, the free end portion of the strip is merely pulled in a direction generally parallel to the plane of base member 10, as shown by the arrow P. When the strip is so pulled, it passes under tension against the underside of leading tine 20 and then diagonally up over the upper surface of middle tine 21. Referring to FIG. 3, the upper right-hand side edge of tine 21, over which edge the strip is forced to sharply change its direction of movement, functions as the peeling edge. This edge Will cause the overlying label 3 to separate from the backing strip 2 as the latter sheet continues its movement overthe edge and along the upper surface of the tine. From the upper surface of the tine 21, the backing sheet 2 continues diagonally downwardly to pass beneath the trailing tine 22 and thence off the device. It should be noted that as the backing strip is moving downwardly to the left from tine 21 to tine 22, the trailing end of the label 3 remains attached to the sheet. The label is therefore carried along with the backing strip until it comes to rest on the upper surface of tine 22 in the position shown in FIG. 3. From this final rest position, the label can readily be removed manually for use.

FIG. 1 illustrates a single stampling or blank 30 from which the label dispenser of FIG. 2 can readily be formed.

The blank comprises a substantially rectangular sheet steel stamping of the desired thickness which, as indicated above, can be in the order of It includes slots 31, 32 respectively extending inwardly from the opposite side edges of the rear portion of the blank. It also includes the slots 13, 14, 15, 33, and 34 defining the respective aforedescribed tines 20-23. In FIG. 1, the broken lines indicate the fold lines along which the related portions of the blank are to be bent to form the various components, which are indicated in FIG. 1 by the same reference numerals used in FIGS. 2 and 3. Thus the roll-supporting structure 11 is formed by making upward right-angle bends along fold lines 35, 36, and 37. The various tines are similarly formed by bending upwardly at an angle about lines 40, downwardly about lines 41 and then downwardly again along lines 42 for tines 23 and 21.

Although the preferred embodiment of the invention as described hereinbefore is made of metal and from a single stamped blank, it will be appreciated that other structuralv forms, materials, and fabricating techniques can be used. for example, the dispenser can be made from any suitable synthetic resin material as by molding, and it need not be formed as one integral unit. Numerous other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the disclosure herein of a specific embodiment of the invention be illustrative only and in no way limitative of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A device for dispensing label material or the like from a composite strip comprising said label material detachably adhesively attached to an elongated supporting sheet, said device comprising:

means for molding a supply of said composite strip from which supply a portion of said strip can be Withdrawn in a given direction along a given path of movement;

said device including a continuous panel forming the construction thereof as a unitary member;

a label separating means formed at a station in said panel for automatically separating said label material from said supporting sheet in response to said from a composite strip comprising said label material 5 detachably adhesively attached to an elongated supporting sheet, said device comprising:

means for holding a supply of said composite strip from which supply a portion of said strip can be withdrawn in a given direction along a given path of movement;

said device forming a unitary member including a panel;

a label separating means formed at a station in said panel for automatically separating said label material from said supporting sheet in response to said withdrawn portion of said composite strip being drawn through said station;

said label separating station including adjacent side-byside slots provided in said panel and extending across said path of strip movement;

said slots defining at least two adjacent spaced bar-like members having free end portions respectively under and over which said strip passes.

3. The combination according to claim 2:

the respective strip-contacting portions of said bar-like members being transversely offset relative to one another to cause said strip to abruptly change its direction of movement as it passes through the label separating station.

4. The combination according to claim 3:

said slots being closed at one end thereof, and extending through an edge of said panel at the other end thereof.

5. The combination according to claim 4:

wherein the free end portion of at least one of said bar-like members is bent transversely inwardly to form guide means to constrain said strip against movement toward said edge of said panel.

6. A device for dispensing label material or the like from a composite strip comprising said label material detachably adhesively attached to an elongated supporting sheet, said device comprising:

means for holding a supply of said composite strip from which supply a portion of said strip can be withdrawn in a given direction along a given path of movement;

said device forming a unitary member including a panel;

a label separating means formed at a station in said panel for automatically separating said label material from said supporting sheet in response to said withdrawn portion of said composite strip being drawn through said station;

said label separating station comprising adjacent side-byside open end slots provided in said panel and extending across said path of strip movement and being respecively spaced along said path thereby providing leading, middle, and trailing cantilever bar-like members with respect to the direction of strip movement;

said strip being trained sinuously around said members.

7. The combination according to claim 6:

said open end slots extending through an edge of said panel, whereby said cantilever bar-like members comprise tines whose outer free ends are substantially coterminous with said edge of said panel.

8. The combination according to claim 7:

said middle tine being transversely offset relative to said leading and trailing tines.

9. The combination according to claim 8:

wherein'the outer free end of said leading tine is bent transversely inwardly to constrain said strip against lateral movement toward said panel edge.

10. The combination according to claim 9:

the inner ends of said tines comprising transversely bent portions integrally connecting said tines to said panel.

11. The combination according to claim 10:

5 6 said panel and said tines all being of substantially equal said one and another portions of said panel being disthickness. posed along the same one of said side edges. 12. The combination according to claim 1: wherein said panel forms the base of the device. References Cited y the Examiner 13. Tlhe combination according to claim 12: 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS said abel separating means comprising said station being formed in one portion of said panel; 2524582 10/50 Yerkes et said holding means being provided at another portion 3107814 10/63 Auger et a1 221*73 of said panel. 14. The combination according to claim 13: LOUIS DEMBO Prlmary Examiner 10 said panel having opposed side edges; HADD S. LANE, Examiner. 

1. A DEVICE FOR DISPENSING LABEL MATERIAL OR THE LIKE FROM A COMPOSITE STRIP COMPRISING SAID LABEL MATERIAL DETACHABLY ADHESIVELY ATTACHED TO AN ELONGATED SUPPORTING SHEET, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING: MEANS FOR MOLDING A SUPPLY OF SAID COMPOSITE STRIP FROM WHICH SUPPLY A PORTION OF SAID STRIP CAN BE WITHDRAWN IN A GIVEN DIRECTION ALONG A GIVEN PATH OF MOVEMENT; SAID DEVICE INCLUDING A CONTINUOUS PANEL FORMING THE CONSTRUCTION THEREOF AS A UNITARY MEMBER; A LABEL SEPARATING MEANS FORMED AT A STATION IN SAID PANEL FOR AUTOMATICALLY SEPARATING SAID LABEL MATERIAL FROM SAID SUPPORTING SHEET IN RESPONSE TO SAID WITHDRAWN PORTION OF SAID COMPOSITE STRIP BEING DRAWN THROUGH SAID STATION. 